Elijah Craig Bourbon is hosting its fifth annual Old Fashioned Week, a ten-day celebration from 11-20 October 2024 that invites you to raise a glass to a new era of the classic cocktail while also raising money for a charity helping bartenders and other drinks industry workers.

Rallying conscientious cocktailers, participants are invited to join the celebration, toast their favourite Elijah Craig Old Fashioned, and enjoy local events highlighting the quality and expert craftsmanship of the award-winning bourbon.

For good causes

Elijah Craig launched Old Fashioned Week in the U.S. in 2020 "with two goals: support the hospitality industry at a critical moment of need and create ways for our community to remain connected at a time when we simply couldn't meet for a drink," said Max Stefka, Group Product Director at Heaven Hill.

A lifetime total of over $400,000 has been donated to nonprofit organisations that directly impact individuals in the food and beverage community. It was rolled out across Canada in 2022 and launched in the United Kingdom in 2024. As Max Stefka says, "Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week is becoming a global movement with three countries and over three thousand participating bars from every facet of the industry. We are grateful to everyone who has supported it and every patron who has raised an Old Fashioned to a great cause."

How do you participate?

You are invited to join the celebration and toast to Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week (11-20 October 2024) across the U.S., United Kingdom and Canada. Bars will offer a riff (or two or three...) of the Elijah Craig Old Fashioned, showing their support for the celebration. Use the "Find A Bar" tool on OldFashionedWeek.com to locate participating bars near you.

How does a bar/restaurant participate?

Find out how to register a bar or restaurant in your region by going to OldFashionedWeek.com.

Who does Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week support?

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week supports bar and restaurant workers in need. In 2023, and 2024 combined, with the help of Elijah Craig's donation in the U.S., Southern Smoke Foundation provided nearly 1,000 no-cost mental health counselling sessions to hospitality industry workers nationwide through their mental health program, Behind You, and distributed nearly $150,000 in emergency relief grants.

Elijah Craig donated $25,000 to the Bartenders Benevolent Fund in Canada in 2023. This money was allocated to the Emergency Relief Fund and the Hospitality Workers Mental Health Fund.

This year, Elijah Craig has also partnered with The Drinks Trust, a UK charity dedicated to the drinks and hospitality workforce, which strives to empower industry people through services designed to assist financially, restore well-being and develop skills, and to do so with compassion and respect.

Elijah Craig is proud to continue supporting the bar and restaurant community through Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week events. In 2024; in the
United Kingdom: Elijah Craig pledges to donate £1 for every Old Fashioned sold (up to £10,000) to The Drinks Trust
United States: Elijah Craig pledges to donate $1 for every Old Fashioned sold (up to $100,000) to the Southern Smoke Foundation
Canada: Elijah Craig pledges to donate $1 for every Old Fashioned sold (up to $25,000) to the Bartenders Benevolent Fund

Why Elijah Craig Bourbon and the Old Fashioned?

The brand says, "A match made in heaven, Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Bourbon strikes the perfect note of rich flavour and full body that expertly balances the spirit-forward Old Fashioned. Its signature warm spice and subtle smoke flavour complement the sweetness and spiciness of the cocktail's accompanying ingredients.
To enjoy an Old Fashioned in its purest form, begin with:

• 50ml Elijah Craig Small Batch
• 10ml Simple Syrup
• 3 dashes Angostura® Bitters
• Orange Twist
• Cocktail Cherry (optional)

In a mixing glass add Elijah Craig Bourbon, bitters, simple syrup, and ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain cocktail over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a twist of orange peel and an optional cocktail cherry."

For more information, head to OldFashionedWeek.com